Right Decisions

Right Qualities, Right Motives, Right Decisions

As a Christian, you should have certain qualities that are evident in your life. A personal relationship with Jesus changes you from the inside out. First you receive a heart transplant – a new heart. As a matter of fact, you become a new creature. And, because you are a new creature, you will develop new qualities as you follow Jesus’ teachings. Right Qualities. 2 Corinthians 5:17 … if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Once your heart is right, there will be an outward change
Matthew 5:13-16
Salt and light
Does your salt get out of the shaker?

How are you influencing the world for Christ?
If someone accused you of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

Right Motives – Matthew 6:1-4
Not to be seen of men but to glorify God
Are you full of much speaking or much trust

Right Relationships
Matthew 7:1-5 Don’t be hypocritical
Matthew 7:6 Pearls to the swine

Right Decisions
Matthew 7:13-14 Narrow gate
Matthew 7:15-20 Recognize the false prophets by their fruit
Matthew 7:24-27 House on the rock
Matthew 7:28-29 Jesus taught as one with authority

How can you begin this journey toward right qualities, right motives and right decisions? Begin a personal relationship with Jesus Christ! Here’s how:
Admit—Confess—Believe!
Romans 3:23 All have sinned …
– Exodus 20: the Ten Commandments
– Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28 Jesus took these commandments a step further. He said the law says do not commit adultery, but I say, if you have looked on a woman with lust, you have committed adultery already in your heart. The law says do not kill or you will be in danger of judgment, but I say, if you are angry with your brother without cause, you are in danger of judgment.
– James 4:17 …To him who knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin. You may not DO things that are wrong, but you may FAIL TO DO things that are good.

The rest of that verse says ….and come short of the glory of God.
Can you throw a rock to the parking lot?
Can you throw a rock to New York City?
Can you throw a rock to the moon?
You might be able to throw further than me, you might be better than me, but you still can’t meet God’s standard. His standard is NO SIN.

This is the Admit part of Admit, Believe, Confess. Admit that you are a sinner.
Romans 6:23 The wages of sin is death…
What are wages? Wages are something you have earned, something you deserve. You deserve death as a punishment for your sin. But this death is not just physical death, it is spiritual death. It’s separation for God forever in a place of torment. That’s Hell. You deserve to go to hell as a punishment for your sin. We all deserve to go to Hell as a punishment for our sin.

Romans 6:23 ….but the gift of God is eternal life.
There is no way that we can come to God by our own goodness or by our own strength, so God made a way for us to come to him. That way is through Jesus. Jesus stood in our place and took our punishment (death) and He let us stand in his place and we took on his righteousness and received the gift of eternal life.

Why do you need to admit you are a sinner? So that you realize that you need Jesus, you need a Savior, you need to be saved.

The final verse on the Romans Road is Romans 10:9
IF you confess with your mouth
– the Lord Jesus
– that Jesus is Lord
AND IF you believe in your heart
– that God has raised Him from the dead
THEN you will be saved
-Saved from the punishment of death
-Saved from eternal death in a place of torment
– Saved from HELL

Why is it important that Jesus has been raised from the dead?
-It means He has defeated Death and Hell
-It means Jesus is in Heaven, preparing a place for YOU
-It means the Bible is true
-It means we serve a living GOD.
And who wants to serve a dead god?

You are a sinner.
You deserve death as a punishment for your sins.
But God is offering you a gift – eternal life.
And the way you accept his gift is by:
– confessing with your mouth the Lord Jesus.
– believing in your heart that God has raised him from the dead.

Knowing That You Know God
-The first step is meeting God and accepting His gift of eternal life.